5 Ways to Get Out of a Youth Ministry Rut

Youth ministry may be more of a calling than a job, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get somewhat monotonous. When you keep doing your thing, year after year, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You throw a k...

Be Prepared…but Be Flexible

Just before Christmas, I was leading my sixth grade guys' small group in a conversation about the incarnation. My hope was to remind them this season was about more than presents and a break from school. Pretty...

Preparing to Encounter God Through Advent

Advent is the season of waiting, the season of preparation, the season of nearly but not yet. We prepare the manger, but the Baby isn't here yet. The season of Advent, traditionally the four weeks prior to Chr...

The Problem with Hipster Christianity

Before my seniors leave for college, we spend a good deal of time talking about various campus ministries. Our hope is to encourage students to get involved in them (or in a church on their college campus). As...

25 Christmas Activity Ideas

Christmas is the time of the year that we celebrate the Newborn King through hot cocoa, ugly sweaters, service projects, and crazy games. Here are 25 ideas that I’ve tested myself that you can use this Christ...

The Human Christmas Tree

For this game, each team will decorate one of its own members as a human Christmas tree using the following: crepe paper streamers, paper ornaments, face paint, color markers, masking tape and a paper star tre...

Game: Christmas Hunt

This Christmas version of the traditional scavenger hunt makes for some fun house-to-house travel and also can connect your teenagers to the wider congregation. Make a list of items people traditionally would ...

Can God Ever Really Forgive Me?

Over the last 25 years of teaching and training thousands of Christian teenagers across the nation, I’ve encountered countless young people who have struggled with sexual shame. For some, it is guilt as a r...

William Tell

Divide teens into two groups. Give each group a water gun and a source of water (bucket, hose, etc). Pick two volunteers to start. Have volunteers stand 15 feet away from each other and tell them to use their...